Wrist watch



' 1,687,365 a. P. DIKE WRIST wA'rcR Filed Oct. 18, 1926 QJLL ZZMM L Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

,. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

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WRIST WATCH.

Application filed October 18, 1926. Serial No. 142,298.

This invention relates to wrist watches, and in general has for its object to eliminate the use of the cumbersome, inconvenient and his other hand to readjust the position of the watch upon the wrist. Such operation is, of course, annoying and inconvenient and may be dangerous in the case of a person operating a motor vehicle.

An important object of the invention is to provide a wrist watch which, when clasped on the wrist of the wearer, will remain in its proper position upon the top of the wrist and be, at all times, in the direct line of vision of the wearer.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a wrist watch having wrist engaging .arms which are normally rigid but which are formed of a material that enables them to be readily bent to the exact shape to fit the individual wearers wrist, preferably by the application ofheat of a degree considerably higher than that to which the bracelet is subjected when being worn. After such shaping of the arms to the individual wearers wrist, the watch cannot be accidentally displaced from its normal and correct position upon the wrist.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wrist watch which having open wrist engaging arms, one of which is hingedly connected with the watch can be readily and quickly snapped on to the wearers wrist, and is provided withlocking means which, when. locked will hold the watch securely in place, and which can be instantly unlocked to permit the watch to be taken off.

Another object is to provide positive looking means which cannot be accidentally released during the usual and ordinary use of the watch.

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a wrist watch embodying this invention.-

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same showing in dotted lines various positions which the arms may be made to assume. I

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective on an en- In order to see the watch it has been necessary for the wearer first to employlarged scale showing in detail a section of the watch body and the movable arm member with a single latch or locking means, the parts being disconnected.

Fig. 4 is a detail View showing another formof latch or locking means.

' Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the lines 5.') of Fig. 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a plane and elevation showing another form oflatch or locking means, this being the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a detail cross section taken substantially along the line 88 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through a portion of the Watch body and movable arm,

showing another type of latch or locking means.

Fig. 10 1s a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 10 -10, Fig. 9.

F ig'. 11 is an elevation showing yet another form of latch or locking means. Before explaining in detail the present 1m roveinent and mode of operation thereof, I esire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing," since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and that the phraseology which I employ is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to in- I elusive of'the drawings, A represents the watch body portion, 13 the fixed arm, and G 2 the movable arm, said parts together forming the wrist watch of this invention.

[The watch'body is formed, preferably, of metal, such, for example, as gold, silver, platinum, or the like, although it is to be understood that any other suitable or desirable material may likewise be em )loyed. The arms B and C are mainly forme preferably, of some sort of material which is normally rigid under all ordinary degrees of 100 heat but which can be bent to assume any desired shape or configuration upon the application thereto of a degree of heat greater. than that to which it is likely to be subjected in use. dotted lines in Fig. 2. Preferably, celluloid is the particular material employed to form the arms, but, of course, any other heat bendable material may be used.

It will be observed that the arms B and C 110 Several such shapes are shown in are open ended, that is, have their proximate ends free'and unconnected with each other, there being preferably a spice between them. Theen of the watch dy or case A is provided with a lug or projection having holes 27.. The end 24 is also provided with a vertically extending 'recess 28, adapted to receive apin or short shaft 29, which pin has a lateral extension or "latch member 30 projecting into the space between the legs 25 and 26. The inner end of the pin 29 rests against oneend of a coil ring 31 also positioned within the recess 28, the function of the spring being to maintam the pin normally in its extended or notch engaging position.

The rear face of the outer end of the watch body which is' provided withthe lug 20, is also provided with a notch or cut away portion 32 above and below the lug.-. The inner end of each leg 25 and 26 of the bifurcated inner end of the movable arm C is also notched, or cutaway, as shown at 33, so as to co-operate with the notches 32 when the parts are assembled. When thus assembled, the holes 21 and 27 in the watchbody and inner end of the movable arm, respectively,

are in alignment and hinged together by a pivot pin 34, shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be seen, therefore, that when the parts illustrated n Fig. 3 are assembled for engagement with arm of the wearer, theprojection 30 on the pin is seated in the notch 22 and held therein by the pressure exerted upon it by 'the'coil spring 31. To

remove the bracelet from the arm, it is mere- 1i necessary to. press the protruding end of t e pin 29, which will release the latch from its an ment in the notch 22 and allow the mova le arm C to "swin about its pivot provided by the pin 34. en it is desired to close the bracelet, that is, to returnthe parts to their position of use, as shown in Fig. 2, it is simply neoesa to press the arms B and C toward each other which will cause 'the projection 30 on the pin 29to ride up the inchned or cam surface 23 of the lug 20,

and snap into the recess 22 locking the hinge against movement.

In Fig. 4, a. slightly different form of latch or he means is illustrated. In this 'cular instance, the ln upon the watch body and the inner end of t e movable arm are substantially like those shown in the preceding figures. The bifurcated inner end 24 of the armis, however, provided in its u per leg portion with a recess 35 within whic is pivoted on a pin 36, a latch member 37 having a handle or actuat portion extending out of recess 35 and a atch portion extendin within the recess. The lug uponthe watc body is provided in its outer end with a vertically extending notch 38 (see v shown my invention in its preferred form,

there is shown another type of lock. In this I form there are two latch members emplo ed in lieu of a single latch as in the forms i ustrated in the precedin fi res. With the use of two fastening atc es, the movable. arm is doubly locked m position with respect to the watch body and cannot'be moved unless both locks are pressed simultaneously. This, lock includes two latch members 40 each having an actuating handle fittingwithin a recess formed in the inner end 24 of the movable arm, and each having a projecting portion. The latch members 40 are each pro-- vided with an inte terminating in a point 41 which is adapted to seat in a recess 42 one of which is formed in each face of the lug 20. Positioned also with-' in each recess, is a cdil spring 43 which en'- gages the end of the latch and tends to force its pointed end into the spacebetween the legs of the bifurcated inner end of the movable arm. It will be observed that. the projecting ends of the latch members 40 are opposite each other and in a position where they can be easily pressed at the same time by the wearers thumb and forefinger, so that the hinge while being doubl locked can be diseingaged as easily as if 0 y one lock were use Another form of locking means 'is illusgral lateral extension 40' trated in Figs. 9 and 10. In this form of the invention, the luv 20 is rovided with averticallyexten 'hole44, vingat each end thereof, a tight tting ring 45; Within the hole between the rin 45 is a coil sp 46. Also within said hole are position a pair of small studded Itwillbeseenthattheendsof' espring the'innerface of each-plate'i and ten to force the stud on each-cuff;

wardl through the perforations in the rings ach le of the bifurcated inner'end' 24 of the mova le'arm'C is outer face with a recess 48. Ahole 49 is also provided in each 1 that is, with the space between the to the recess therein with the inside face of the leg,

provided in its of the recess 48 to prevent the studded plate.

and spring from becoming displaced. It will be observed therefore, that the-springs 51 at the inner side of each plate, tend to force the stud members 53 on one side thereof outwardly beyond the outer face of each leg, these stud members serving as operating means to force the studs on the plates 47 out of enga ement with the holes 49, thereby releasing t e arm C and allowing it to swing about its pivot pin 34 when it becomes necessary to remove the wrist watch from the arm of the wearer.

In Fig. 11, another form of lock is illustrated, this form being extremely simple and cheap to manufacture. In this specific form of the invention, the lug 20 is provided in its outer end or face with a slot 54. The bifurcated inner end 24 of the movable arm is provided with a. longitudinally extending recess 55 ada ted to receive and support a pin 56 provi edwith a laterally extending stud or button 57 which projects through a slot 58 formed in theouter face of the bifurcated end 24, the stud serving as actuating means for moving the pin 56. Behind the pin,.within the recess 55 is a coil spring 59 which normally forces the pin 56 outwardly beyond the end of the. recess 55 so that its end projects into the space bet-ween the legs 25 and 29 of the end 24, and, as shown in the drawings, engages the slot 54 in the end of the stud 20. In this manner, the movable arm will be held in its operative position until the stud 57 is moved toward the right of Fig. 11,-

In order to allow the locking means or latch member to snap into its respective holding recess upon moving the arms to their operative position in each of the forms of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 11 inclusive, tapered or cam surfaces 60 are provided adjacent each recess or notch member which is adapted to receive and hold its respective locking or latch member or members, thereby maintaining the parts of the wrist watch in operative relation. The cam surfaces 60 function in precisely the same manner as the upward tapered or cam surface 23 of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3. j

It will be understood that one or both of the arms will be bent-,preferably after being subjected to heat, to the exact shape of the wearers wrist. Since the human wrist is oval or non-circular in cross section the arms may be fitted to the wearers wrist with some degree of freedom so that there will be no uncomfortable pressure, but still will not turn around to the wrong side of the wrist. Also, if after beingworn for a while the adjustment is either too tight or .too v loose and the arms do not fit the shaped the wrist perfectly, they can be further bent and adjusted The arms can also be made of relatively slender thin pieces of celluloid which will not interfere with the movement of the wearers wrist. The watch can be instantly put on by being clasped-about the wrist, it being locked in place by the action of the snap lock and'can be. removed as quickly by pressing on thelocked member or members, as the case may be.

W'hat I claim is: Y r

1. A device of the class described, comprising a body portion, a pair of open arms one .of which is hinged to the body portion, and unyielding means at the hinge to hold the arms in substantially fixed clasping position.

2. In awrist watch, a watch case, a pair of open arms one of which is hinged to the case, and a. latch to lock the hinged arm= adjacent the hinge.

3. In a wrist watch, a watch case and a pair of open arms which are substantially rigid at body temperatures and bendable when subjected to higher temperatures, one of saidarms being hinged to thecase, and means at the hinge to lock the armin clasping position.

4. A device of the class described comprising a body, a pair of substantially rigid open arms formed of celluloid associated with the body, one of said arms being fixed to said body, the other of said arms and the body having hinge portions connected to gether, and means to lock the hinge portions.

5. A wrist watch comprising a watch case provided on one side with a lug, a

fixed substantially rigid arm formed of heat bendable material extending from the opposite side of the case, a movable arm having a bifurcated end hingedly connected with said body lug, and locking means associated with said bifurcated end and said lot) lug for maintaining said movable arm norture adjacent the hinge, said lock members each being adapted to lock the arm against movement about the hinge pivot.

8. In a wrist watch, a watch case, a pair of arms, one thereof hinged to the case, a air of lock members the ends of which proect beyond the sides of the structure ad- 'acent the hinge, said lock memberseach eing adapted to lock the arm against movement about the hinge pivot, and sprinlg's adapted to hold the lock members norma y in locked position.

9. A device of the class described, comprising a body, a pair of substantially rigid arms extending from opposite sides of the body, each arm comprisin a metallic holder, one of which being hinged to the body, and a celluloid member shaped to clasp the wrist carried by-each holder, and means for holding said arms in fixed claspin position.

10. A device of the class escribed, comprising main body portion, a pair of arms exten mg from opposite sides of the body portion, one of ear arms and the body portion comprising relatively movable cooperating portions, and means for releasably looking said portions together to hold the arm in fixed position to c as the wrist.

11. A device of the c as described comprisin a main body portion a pair 0 arms exten mg from opposite sides of thebody ortion, one of said arms being permanently xed to the body portion, the other of said arms and the body portion including relatively movable cooperating portions, and.

means for releasabl locking said portions 3 together to hold sai last-mentioned arm in fixed position to clasp'the wrist.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE P. DIKE. 

